A Texas baby weighed almost 15 pounds at birth, breaking a hospital record

July 02, 2024

The baby was born via C-section to parents Eric and Jennifer Medlock at Arlington Medical Hospital, weighing 14 pounds and 13 ounces, to be exact. By comparison, the average newborn weighs around 7 pounds at birth , according to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

After his birth, the baby spent one week in the neonatal intensive care unit due to low blood sugar and platelet levels, but has since returned home with his parents and is healthy, according to CBS 11.

"It doesn't matter how big he is, I'm so blessed," Jennifer told CBS 11.

She added that she and her husband were expecting a larger-than-average baby because their firstborn child, weighed more than nine pounds when she was born.

The baby's birth was significant for another reason: Jennifer told CBS 11 that she has severe polycystic ovary syndrome , a condition in which women have increased levels of male hormones in their bodies. This may cause irregular periods, acne and excess hair growth, and infertility, according to the National Institutes of Health. It's also common, affecting one in every 10 women of childbearing age , the US Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health explains.

Doctors told the Medlocks that having children would be difficult, but the couple decided to try anyway, and they had their first child with the help of fertility treatments, CBS 11 reported. They had been preparing to start these treatments again when they discovered they were expecting their second child, the report added.

"I love proving people wrong," Jennifer told CBS 11.

Eric told CNN that Jennifer experienced a secondary infection after the C-section that will require a few more weeks of healing. But Ali is doing well after his stay in the hospital.

"He's sleeping and eating and he's just a healthy boy," Eric told CNN. "Just a little bit bigger than you would expect."

Watch CBS 11's full report below.

Jennifer and Eric Medlock did not immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment.

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